Drifting-valve.



K. RUSHTON.

DRIFTING VALVE. APPLICATION FILED mm. 1915.

1,172,053. Patented Feb. 15,1916.

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KENNETH RUSI-ITON, or rnrnenntrnia, rnuiissrnvanra, ASSIGNORTO ranBannwIirLocoi/iomvn Wonirs, or PHILADELPHIA, rnivivsynvaurii, aconronarrou OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Application filed January 5, 1915.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be itknown that I, IQENNETH, RUsH'roN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Drifting-Valves, of which the following isa'specification.

i'ly invention relates to certain improvements in valves used inconnection with the cylinders of locomotives for the purpose of breakingthe vacuum formed at. either, end or" the cylinder when the locomotiveis drifting and the steam has been cut 05.

One object of my invention is to construct an automatic drifting valvewhich will allow a certain proportion of steam to enter the end of thecylinder in which a slight vacuum is formed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air valve, whichisopen to the atmosphere at one side and which will actuate a steam valvewhen a vacuum isformed, but which will be normally closed under steampressure. 7 v 7 These objects'l attain in the following manner,reference being had to the accom panying drawings, in which Figure 1, isa longitudinal sectional view of my improved drifting valve; Fig, 2, isa sectional view onthe line aa, Fig. 1; and Fig, 3, is a sectional viewon the line b-l), Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is the valve casing having a threaded end2, which is screwed into the steam passage of the cylinder and also hasathreaded projection 3 to,

which is attached a steam supply pipe.

4.- i an a r valve casing having a portion screwed into an opening inthe underside of the valve casing 1 and having a collar 5,

which forms a tight joint and incloses the air chamber l. In the bottomof this casing is an air vent 6 communicating with the chamber and atthe upperend of the casing is a beveled seat 7. Mounted in the valvecasing is a plunger valve 8 having a beveled flange 9 fitting, when inthe closed position, on the beveled seat 7. The plunger valve 8 has aseries of annular cavities 10 forming air traps and is hollow and hasribs, as shown. Projecting from the upper surface of the plunger valve 8are two lugs 11 and located between the lugs and resting on a narrowseat 12 is a lever 13 notched at is and having its fulcrum m on the endof a screw 15 adapted to a threaded opening in nitrr'rlnc vanvn- VSpecification of Letters Patent. amm 5, 1915' Serial 2-10. 599.

the casing. The lower endof thisscrew is and can be locked in positionafteradjust ment so as to raiseor lower the: fulcrum point. In order toinclosethe screw and to prevent leakage of steam, I provide a screw plug17 adapted to threads in the walls of the cavity 18 in which the head ofthe screw is mounted.

7 19 is a double steamvalvehaving an upper beveled portion 20 and alower beveled portion 21 and in the walls ofthecasing l'is a steampassage 22 communicating with a port 23 in the projection 3. The casing1 has an upper beveled seat 24 and a lower beveled seat 25 for the twobeveled portions 20 and 21 respectively of the valve. The stem of thevalve is slotted,

as at 26, for the passage of the lever 13 and the upper end of the slotis beveled to provide a point of contact between the bar and the valve.The valve is arranged so 'as to have a limited vertical movement as thelever 13 is raised. H

-VVhen the valve casing is located on the cylinder of the locomotive andthe extension 3 is coupled to the live steam pipe, the steam valve isnormally closed as the diameter of the upper surface of the steam valveis greater than the diameter of the lower surface which is subjected tothe direct pressure of steam. When the main steam supply of thelocomotive is cut off and the locomotive is drifting, a partial vacuumis formed first in one end ofthe cylinder and then in the other by theaction of the piston and as a partial vacuum is formed it tends to 13 onits fulcrum a; and the lever, in turn, 7

forces the valve 19 0d of its seat allowing a certain amount of steam toenter the valve casing 1 and through it'to enter the cylinder on oneside of the piston, breaking the vacuum. As soon as there is suilicientsteam pressure the air valve 9 is automatically closed, due to its greatdiameter, and the steam valve is also closed, due to the pressure ofsteam in the port 23. The. lever 13 can be'adjusted by'turning the screw15 so as to take up wear, or for other purposes.

It willbe noticedthat the air opening 6 inthe bottom of the air valvecasing is comparatively small so that the plunger valve 8 its passage ofa cylinder and having port communicating with fluid under pressure;

p of a casing arranged'to be coupled to the- Will act slowly, bothin theupward move ment and also when it retakes its seat, preventing.rattling. It will be noticed that;

there is one'of these valves at each cylinder of the locomotive andWhile I have described the-valve as coupled to alive steamapi pe, it umay becoupled to anypipe-inwhich there.

is fluid under pressure. 1

I claim: V I

1. The combination in a drifting valve, of a casing communicating-Withthe steam a valve for-closing the port to the interior of thecasing; an airvplunger; and a lever bearingu-pon the air plunger andarranged to actuate the valve when the plunger is raised so asto allowfluid under pressure to enter the casing and to breakthe vacuum in thecylinder.

2. The combination in adrifting va lve,

steam passageof a cylinder and having a port communicating with fluidunder pres sure and having a chamber communicating with. the atmosphere;a valve closing the passage leading from the port for fluid underpressure and to the interior-ofthe casing; an air plunger; and a leverbearing upon the air plunger and the fluid pressure valve so that when apartial vacuum is formed in the cylinder the-plungerrwill be raised andwill open thevalve to allow er' an ad'ustim screw: and a lever restin onthe adjusting screw as av fulcrum and bearing against the air plungerand ,con trolllng the fluid pressure valve so that Copies of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ilPatentsff when the air plunger is raised; due. tothe partial vaeuum inthe'cylinder, the valve" will also beraised to alloy fluid underapres-r,7

sure to enter the casmg qand'to break -t"he150.:;f

vacuum in thelcylinder 4:.The combination in Qadriiting;;valve,f5 of acasmg arranged to -be connected toy-f the steam passage of alcylinderhaving a port for fluid underapressureglavpassage1r55- extending aroundthecasing from the; port; the port and passage 'communicatingnwith theinterior of the valve casingat the apper and flower, end; a valve seat Isurrounding f each opening; a double valvewarranged; 0060 5 closeagainst both seats an airplunger';. a lever arranged to he;actuatedloythe iplun- 1 ger and to actuate the valve when avacuum; is formedinfthe-cylinder' and in the casing;

soas to cause the fluid under-pressurel to; Y

enter theicasing and break the vacuum; ,7

The combination, in a drifting :valve, of a leasing-"arranged to becoupled'rto the steam passagelof acyli'nder' and having: a

port arranged to be coupled to a steam supg;7

ply pipe and having an enlarged; threaded opening; an air valve casingscrewed; intQ' i the opening and havingla. small air port-1;. a Iplungermounted 1n saidca-singg a valve for.

controlling the passage offluid under'pres-m 5 sure to the casing; alever pivotally mount: ed' in the casing and "extending throughithel Vsteam valve and resting on the aire lplu'nger so that when a vacuum :is.formed in the cylinder of the casingztheair" valve iwilliloe Q raisedand will cause, the lever toaactuatelthe steam valve to allowsteam-underpresa sure. to enterthe .casingandfthe end for the. cylinderto Whichi'tis connected; 1

In'testimony whereof, I have signed jmy- 85 nametoithi'sspecificationgin the presence of two subscribing ;witnesses.

KENNETH RU SHTONZ Witnesses: 1' V BLAIR M.BE]LEY,*

IRVI'N MQPirnrrr'rim Washington, 11.0.1"

